This invention relates to motors and governor means therefor, for use in toys, games and the like.
Miniature motor means, such as spring motors, electric motors, and the like, have become widely used in innumerable varieties of toys and games, such as dolls or the like. Such motive or power means in many instances use governors, such as of the flywheel type, starwheel and oscillating crank type, and the like. Such governors require a gear train, particularly when using a spring motor, to step up the speed of the motor considerably so that a relatively small starwheel, flywheel, or the like may be utilized to control the spring. Not only do these gear trains require considerable space within the toy or game, but the noise associated with their operation is annoying and may well detract from the entire affect which is desired from the toy. For instance, with dolls that have eyes and heads and other appendages which are actuated, the grinding of gears is undesirable. Noise from the gears would completely detract from toys and games wherein a "ghost affect" would be desirable. There is a definite need for a quiet smooth running governor for use with miniature motors (i.e., in toys, games and the like) to solve these problems. Further, there is a constant need for improved governor devices in wide varieties of games having moving components.
An object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a new and improved governor means for use with motors in toys, games or the like.
In the exemplary embodiments of the invention, spring motors are shown in conjunction with the governor means. However, it is contemplated that other miniature motors, such as electrical motors, are equally adaptable for use with the governor means of the present invention.
As shown herein, the govenor means includes a housing having a closed, preferably sealed, interior cavity. A driven shaft from the motor extends through the housing and into the cavity and is operatively connected to a circular disc shaped driven gear member. A disc shaped idler gear member is disposed within the cavity in mesh with the driven gear member but otherwise is freely rotatable within the cavity under the restraint of a high viscosity liquid substantially surrounding the gear members. The liquid provides resistance to the driving of the gear members by the motor means, thus slowly the motor and providing a more uniform speed of operation. (The use of the term "disc" gear herein is not intended to in any way limit the gear means to any particular thickness of the gears. Disc gear is only meant to connote a gear member having an annular or circular set of gears.)
When using the aforementioned two disc gears, the driven gear and the idler gear, the cavity within which they are disposed is comprised of a pair of cylindrical portions concentric with and surrounding the disc gears. The cavity portions join each other in the area of the meshed teeth of the gears. The end walls of the cylindrical portions are generally planar and adjacent the side planar faces of the gears. In one form of the invention shown herein, the distance between the cylindrical walls of the cylindrical cavity portions and the adjacent peripheral extremities of the gear teeth on the respective gears is less than the distance between the cavity end walls and the side faces of the gears. This causes some volume of the high viscosity liquid to be forced transversely of the gears (i.e., generally parallel to their axes of rotation) rather than moving the liquid in a circular pattern with the rotating teeth about the interior cavity walls.
In another form of the invention, enlarged cavity portions are formed in the area where the cylindrical cavity portions join, adjacent the meshed area of the teeth of the disc gears. Such enlargements tend to decrease the resistance of the liquid on the rotating movement of the gears.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.